


And So the Story Goes

by TheNewspaperDress



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23676634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNewspaperDress/pseuds/TheNewspaperDress
Summary: Diana could have told you that Anne and Gilbert were perfect together the day they met at the college paper. However, it took a bit more blindsiding, denial, and heartbreak for the pair to figure it out themselves.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Winifred Rose
Comments: 2
Kudos: 116





	And So the Story Goes

Gilbert Blyth and Anne Shirley did not get along. 

There was no reason for their long standing feud, but they were both too stubborn to back down. Gilbert was far too charming and beloved for Anne’s taste while Gilbert found Anne’s temper too unpredictable. The rest of the newspaper club found their rivalry entertaining at best and downright exhausting at worst. Everyone knew that either Gilbert or Anne would be the next editor in chief, and neither would rest until that final decision was made. 

It was late September when Gilbert found Anne sitting in the abandoned office late at night. He had come to drop off his latest article before heading off to the latest college party. He nearly left with only a brief smile at his coworker, but the light of her lamp cast a shine on the tears silently running down Anne’s cheek. Gilbert pausd at the door then slowly approached the desk. He saw the article assignment poking out from the edge of her computer. Anne was writing a story about students tutoring local foster care students. There was a picture of a gangly young girl biting her lip as she did her homework on the desk, a few scattered tear stains smudging the ink. 

“Hey,” Gilbert whispered, trying to get Anne’s attention. 

She didn’t look up, just wiped her cheeks dry.

“Foster care sucks,” she choked out, “I mean not all the time obviously, but most of the time.”

Gilbert knew Anne was an orphan adopted by the Cuthbert siblings as a teenager, but he didn’t know anything about her time in foster care before that. 

“I start to think I’m past it then i get assigned a stupid article with a stupid little girl in hand-me-down clothes and I’m just not” she continued. 

Gilbert sat silently, not knowing the right thing to say. Several minutes later Anne sniffled, sat up straight, closed her laptop, and looked Gilbert head on.

“You’re an orphan too, though,” she stated. 

Gilbert nodded slowly. It wasn’t a secret. Gilbert had been ahead of Anne before he took a year off to take care of his ailing father. He had died the summer before his junior year. 

“I guess life is just dreadful sometimes.” Anne said that fact like she was stating the sky was blue. It wasn’t some horrible reality just a simple fact that had to be dealt with. 

“It is,” replied Gilbert, “but not always.”

“There is nothing truer. I think it’s time for a drink” she said resolutely, “You’re going to Ruby’s party right? I think we’re perfectly fashionably late.”

Just like that Anne was her bright outgoing self again, no sign of sorrow in her eyes. Gilbert smiled and followed her out the door. When Diana saw the pair arrive at the party together she raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Gilbert shrugged before Anne was dragging him to the kitchen for drinks. The rest of the night Gilbert watched Anne bounce around the apartment dancing with Diana and laughing with Ruby. He kept to the kitchen talking to friends and wondering if she felt as though the world had shifted slightly. 

***

Anne had noticed a shift, thank you very much. She was a bright observant journalist, she noticed everything. However, Anne would not acknowledge anything had changed in her relationship with Gilbert Blythe. Maybe they were friendlier and would be seen getting coffee together before the weekly assignment briefings, but that was merely professional courtesy. Gilbert was, after all, another senior writer and occasionally had useful insight about her writing. They still bickered about everything and remained the fiercest competitors. 

However, Diana was also a bright, observant journalist and would state on record that Gilbert and Anne had finally become friends. It was only a matter of time, she would argue. They were both brilliant, creative writers who shared all the same friends and interests. If they weren’t both so stubborn they would have been besties since the day they met. Diana didn’t know what happened the night of Ruby’s party, but she thanked whatever gods forced them to see eye to eye. 

Secretly though, in her most private thoughts, Anne knew that she and Gilbert were deeply connected. He had seen her at her most vulnerable and didn’t goad or taunt, he didn’t offer meaningless platitudes, instead he suggested hope. Life is dreadful sometimes, but not always. A light in the darkness, not always and certainly not forever. Anne had softened towards Gilbert that night, she didn’t find his effortless charm as irritating, he was just generous and it attracted people towards him. She found his arguments more challenging and less difficult. Most of all, Anne found herself wanting to spend more and more time with Gilbert. 

The growing easiness between the two came to a startling halt the day before Thanksgiving break. The newspaper was throwing its annual banquet, a friendsgiving of sorts. Thanksgiving was Anne’s favorite time of year, after being alone for so long it was wonderful to have a family to share a feast with and signaled the true beginning of the Christmas season. Anne was seated and the old conference table in the back of the office between Diana and Cole. Crock pots and tinfoiled plates covered the table as everyone attempted their best home cooking. Anne had made her favorite pumpkin pie, with a crust from scratch. Her kitchen was still covered in flour. Anne was talking animatedly with her friends when she saw Diane’s widen almost comically. She turned to the door to see Gilbert Blyth and a girl. She was gorgeous, tall with golden curls and expensive jeans. The pair took the seats opposite Anne, Gilbert wore a nervous smile. 

“Hey everyone, this is Winnie, my girlfriend. She’s a senior studying pre-med” he said. 

Anne had experienced heartbreak before. Everytime she was sent to a new foster home and packed her things in an old broken duffle bag her heart fractured a little. She had time to prepare for those heartbreaks before, she could tell when her time was ending in one house when the mothers grew tired of her antics. This time Anne had no warning. She saw Gilbert with his beautiful girlfriend and felt her heart freefall to the floor. She wanted to be angry, Anne could feel Diana bristle beside her, who said Gilbert could bring a random guest to a newspaper family dinner. But she wasn’t. Anne went silent. She didn’t hear the conversation around her, or taste the food on her plate, even her pie crust felt bland. Gilbert looked at her with a concerned gaze, but Anne was too lost to notice. 

The next morning Anne packed her bags and waited for Matthew to pick her up in his old station wagon. She resolved not to think about Gilbert Blythe. She wasn’t heartbroken last night, that was ridiculous, she was simply startled by the new arrival. She didn’t have any reason to be jealous, Gilbert was a colleague, she had no claim over him. Anne resolved herself to have a wonderful break with Matthew and Marilla, before the frantic rush of finals. 

Anne did have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmas. She had sockmas with her friends, where she gifted Ruby a delightful pair of corgi socks and received sassy Shakespeare ones from Cole. Diana gave Anne a beautiful old fountain pen from the local antique store while Anne knitted her friend a sapphire scarf that brightened her face. She gave Gilbert a smile and hug, and wished him well on his trip to Winnie’s ski lodge over New Years to meet her parents. Anne frosted cookies with Marilla and picked out a Christmas tree with Matthew and did not think one bit about Gilbert. Not even when she hung the hand painted ornament that arrived in the mail with a note apologizing for the delay. Not even when she sent him one back, a dried flower suspended in resin that reminded her of a warm spring day. 

Anne Shirley was decided not heartbroken over Gilbert Blythe. 

Gilbert broke up with Winnie a week after Valentine's day. It was safe to say she wasn’t pleased. Gilbert explained that she hadn’t done anything wrong and that she was wonderful, but that was hardly an explanation. How could he explain that he woke up one day and thought about his future and just couldn’t picture her in it. He saw dinner with the newspaper team and coffee with Anne, but he couldn’t see Winnie at graduation much less beyond. He certainly couldn’t explain that he saw Anne throwing her cap in the air laughing, Marilla and Matthew beaming with pride, and himself waiting to celebrate with her. So Gilbert left Winnie’s apartment head bowed in regret wishing he could offer her more, but knowing he couldn’t. Instead he walked to the newspaper office and wrote his next article. 

Gilbert failed to mention to Anne that he had broken up with his girlfriend, it wasn’t on purpose he just didn’t know what to say and she never brought it up. He did make an effort to revive his coffee dates with her and started studying with her in the library. He always walked her home when they stayed too late, and took extra time to wander when the weather was warm. Anne figured that Winnie was busy with her thesis which accounted for Gilbert’s extra free time. Besides she could imagine how that conversation would go. Hey Gil, still dating your beautiful intelligent senior girlfriend? Why am I asking? Oh no reason, I am just irrationally jealous and wish you would devote all your time and attention to me, that’s all. So Gilbert didn’t say anything and Anne didn’t ask.

It wasn’t until the night before spring break that their stalemate finally broke. The pair was sitting in the news office editing their last articles before packing to leave for the week. This article would determine who became the editor the following year and neither would accept anything less than perfection. Gilbert was startled out of his zone by a loud groan from Anne. She had thrown her head back and was glaring at the ceiling. 

“My words have betrayed me,” she wailed, “I have dedicated my life and love to them for years but now, on the eve of my dreams, they’ve forsaken me!” 

Gilbert chuckled and rubbed his weary eyes, “I’m sure your article is as thought-provoking as ever, Anne.” 

Her icy stare migrated from the ceiling to him, “Gilbert Blythe are you trying to trick me into forfeiting the editor position. Ha! I see you’re scheming and refuse to be fooled.” 

Gilbert simply smiled and moved towards the Kurig in the corner, desperate for more caffeine.

“More coffee?” she asked, “I thought you’d want to be spending time with Winnie, seeing as you’ll be gone for a week. She can surely take a night off before break.”  
Gilbert froze, “Uhh, well…”

Anne stared expectantly, the silence only broken by the gurgle of hot water pouring into Gilbert’s mug. 

“Winne and I broke up actually.” 

This time Anne stopped dead, “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Her eyes became sympathetic, Gilbert looked to the floor, “Did you want to get ice cream and cry?”

“That’s very generous, but it was actually a month ago. I’m not really sad anymore.” 

Anne bristled, sympathy turned to pain, then anger very quickly. 

“You didn’t say anything, I had no idea.” 

Gilbert shrugged but stayed quiet. 

“I mean, I thought we were friends, normally friends share things like that, but I guess I was mistaken.”

“Anne, no that’s not it.”

“Well then what is it Gilbert? I mean you’ve seen me at my worst, but you still don’t trust me. I would have understood if you wanted some time to yourself, but why wait a whole month!”

“It’s not like that, please don’t be mad.”

She scoffed, “Well then what is it like?”

At that question Gilbert, who was always slow to anger, felt a hot rage grow within him. “Oh come on Anne, you can’t be mad at me. You’re the one who pulled away first. Before Thanksgiving things were going great, then as soon as you met Winnie you became distant! You could have told me if you didn’t like her, but she was always kind to you!”

“I’m aware she was kind to me, she was kind to everyone! Kind, wonderful, brilliant Winnie. She was perfect, who was I to get in the way of that!” 

Anne was hardly two feet away from Gilbert at this point. She was shorter than him, but stood to her full height as if waiting to attack. Gilbert’s hands were curled into fists by his side, as if he could hold a lifetime of anger in the small space between his fingers. 

“I can’t even figure out why you would break up with her!” Anne was shouting at this point, her emotions raw, jealousy boiling over. 

“Because of you!” Gilbert yelled without thinking, his words pouring out ahead of his brain, “She could never be as perfect as you!” 

The Kurig had long since clicked off leaving the room in a deathly silence. Neither moved for what felt like hours. When the tears began to well in Anne’s eyes she turned away, packed up her bag and walked out. Gilbert didn’t breath until the door latched behind her. His shoulders slumped. He poured out the coffee, washed the mug and left his words hanging in the dark behind him. 

Diana rubbed slow circles on Anne’s back as her friend sobbed on their couch. She had been in the middle of packing when Anne all but collapsed into their apartment, her eyes already red. It was hard to piece together what happened, but the bits of sentences between sobs revealed some argument with Gilbert. Diana knew they would end up here eventually. She had seen Anne’s face when Winnie arrived at Thanksgiving, she knew what heartbreak looked like even if Anne hadn’t realized it yet herself. When she finally calmed Diana bundled her friend into bed and left a glass of water on the nightstand for the morning. She texted Gilbert before going to sleep herself. 

Diana 11:44pm:  
You’re an idiot

Gilbert 11:53:  
I know

Diana was eating the last of her cereal when Anne emerged the following morning. She shuffled slowly to the table where Diana was sitting and sat down clutching the water glass like a lifeline. 

“So,” Diana started, “Why are you mad at Gilbert?’

Anne’s shoulders crumpled with a sigh, “I told you why last night.”

“No, you told me why you yelled at Gilbert, not why you’re mad at him.”  
“Same difference,” Anne wined. 

“You mean to tell me that you were in tears for ages last night because Gilbert didn’t tell you he broke up with his girlfriend. Please Anne, you’re dramatic but not nearly that pathetic.”

Anne glared at her friend. 

“Now, you can continue to be mad at him and spend your spring break moping, or you can go over there and tell him you’re thrilled he broke up with Winnie because now you two can date like you’ve always wanted.”

Gilbert dragged himself out of bed early that morning. He had slept fitfully all night and finally gave up when the sun broke through his curtains. He moved through his apartment in a haze, too exhausted to pay attention to anything. He almost missed the knock at his door until it grew more insistent. Gilbert dragged a hand through his already tousled hair, mentally preparing for a stern lecture from Diana. 

He was not prepared to see Anne on the other side of his door. He must have been gaping like an idiot because she raised an eyebrow waiting to be let in. Anne moved with a purpose normally reserved for her crusades against injustice. Gilbert normally loved watching her in those times, she burned with passion and an unwavering morality. Today he was a bit scared. 

“I may have overreacted,” she blurted out. 

“No, I should have told you sooner,” he countered.

“You were right though I pulled away first,”

Gilbert smiled, “We’re fighting over who gets to apologize now.”

Anne ducked her head to hide her grin, “We’ve always been competitive, why should this be any different?”

The pair stood in silence but their anger had gone. Anne wrung her hands together as she gathered her courage. 

“I was jealous,” she whispered. Gilbert felt his heart sore. 

“You didn’t need to be.”

Anne refused to meet his gaze. Gilbert whispered her name, a desperate plea to see her eyes. Instead she took the final step into his space, wrapped her hand behind his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Gilbert grabbed her waist for balance then pulled her even closer. Anne braced herself against Gilbert’s chest as his hand wove into her hair. Anne kissed like she had something to prove until the need for air won and she pulled back.

Gilbert cupped Anne’s face gently, his thumb tracing a line of freckles on her cheek. His brain raced to catch up with reality.

“There’s no comparison,” he murmured, “you’re my Anne.”

Anne’s smile nearly reached her ears as she buried her face into Gilbert’s chest with a hug. She felt him rumble with laughter before he dropped a kiss to the top of her head. 

“Go out with me?” He asked, “As soon as we’re back from break.” 

“ I think I could manage that.” 

Senior year Anne and Gilbert were co-editors of the newspaper. They were also the cutest couple, when they weren’t bickering at least.


End file.
